The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for allowing one platform to communicate with multiple platforms using a single multi-channel communication conduit. More specifically, one embodiment of the present invention allows a user to configure his system to arbitrate between incoming calls on a single two-channel ISDN line to which multiple devices are connected. This enables, for example, voice calls destined for a telephone to be received when both channels are being used for data transfer by a personal computer.
Currently, many home offices have more than one device (e.g., telephone, fax machine, PC) connected to a single basic rate interface such as, for example, an ISDN line. If one of the devices, e.g., a PC, is engaged in a data transfer which uses both channels of the ISDN line, an incoming call intended for the telephone or fax machine receives a busy signal and is not able to be connected. It is not difficult to appreciate the undesirable consequences resulting from frequent conflicts such as this.
Home office routers provide a means for receiving such calls by dropping any current two-channel data communication down to one of the channels and transmitting the incoming call on the other. This is done automatically without regard to the data types or importance of the communications. Unfortunately, while this solution addresses the problem of missing important voice and fax communications, it assumes the desirability of allowing any incoming communication to interrupt any ongoing two-channel data communication. Such a protocol may be particularly undesirable if the ongoing two-channel data communication is an important real-time video conference call, the fidelity of which may be unacceptably affected by the process of dropping one of the two channels in favor of an incoming call.
It is therefore apparent that there is a need for a more intelligent way to arbitrate between incoming calls and ongoing data communications for use of the transmission resources of basic rate interfaces.